Leonardo has been at the United Nations since 2022. He is currently a consultant in finance for development within the Sustainable Development Unit (SDU) at the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG). Leonardo joined SDU in June 2023 after getting his master’s degree in international development policy at Duke University. Leonardo started his career at the United Nations at SDU-EOSG as a summer intern where he supported the development of narratives and policy documents on finance for development. Additionally, he collaborated with other EOSG colleagues to prepare briefing materials and speeches for the Deputy Secretary-General and the Secretary-General. In 2021, Leonardo was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to study a Master of International Development Policy at the Sandford School of Public Policy, Duke University. At Duke, he was co-president of the Duke Sanford Latin-American & Caribbean Student Association (SLAC). Likewise, Leonardo was a teaching assistant in the School of Public Policy for classes such as Policy Analysis for Development and Economic Growth and Development. Before coming to Duke, Leonardo was an economic advisor on economic affairs at the Ministry of Finance of Colombia for 8 years. There, he participated in the elaboration of several policies to promote the long-term sustainability of the coffee industry such as the CONPES 4052 and the Coffee Prices Stabilization Fund. Leonardo also worked as a research assistant at the Colombian Coffee Grower Federation (the world’s largest rural NGO) and the Central Bank in Colombia, supporting research in rural development and financial education. Born in Colombia, Leonardo holds a B.A. in Economics from Universidad de los Llanos in Villavicencio and a M.Sc. in Economics from Universidad de los Andes in Bogota. Leonardo enjoys running and coffee tasting.